Was it just six months ago I was sitting at the bar at Jameson’s By The Sea, in historic Haleiwa on the North Shore of O’ahu?
The year has flown by since then, and it has caused an odd time warp, since the period between the times I was a regular visitor had preceded that trip by nearly thirty years.
I guess it goes to show that you should really carpe diem, since I got a note in the morning traffic that I am not going to be visiting there again. Ever.
For a perfectly good reason, I had anticipated returning to the happy Isles at least annually for a while, and likely will. But Jamesons’s will not be on the menu of activities.
Some of Oahu’s North Shore destinations will be, of course. Bellows Air Force Station and it’s lovely beach under the jagged spines of the steep side of the Ko’olau mountains. Kaena Point on the northwest corner of the island where the big surf lies, and Dillingham Field where we saw a polo player get killed one summer long ago. Some destinations on the good side of the Dole pineapple fields, away from the sprawl of Honolulu and the bright lights of Waikiki.
There are only a certain number of places to go on an island, after all, and the reference points are about only two directions- toward the mountains (“Mauka’) and toward the ocean (“Makai”).
Everything will eventually take you Makai, even if you start Mauka. In the future I will split the difference between the Ko’olaus and the Waianai range, hitting the ocean again at the historic old town of Haleiwa.
The last trip, I wanted to soak in the memories, and wanted to do a late lunch at what had been my favorite bar on the island. As it turns out, it was a fortunate choice.
Haleiwa is a funky tourist town. You can feel how different it is from the urban southeast part of the island. You can feel that all just slide away once you are past the Dole Plantation visitor’s center. I didn’t feel like joining the throngs looking for shave ice, the commodity for which Haleiwa might be most famous. The signs warned of high surf, which was good, and I pulled off the road to look once I was across the bridge at the north end of town.
Jameson’s was s t ill there, and the lot was only part full. I steered the rental Mazda into an open spot, hoisted my backpack, and went in. The porch had a few open tables, but you never get any good stories at a table by yourself, and I nodded to the hostess and told her I was just going to get a seat at the bar and have lunch.
She nodded and smiled, and I walked in. Bree’an was the duty bartender, and things were just the way I remembered. Judy was next to me, she had been there thirty years doing the books for the restaurant, she was next to Bill, a restaurant manager from down the road on his day off, and Malia, a local lady with a big smile and a personality to match.
I got a vodka and settled in to listen and learn. There are signature mai tais, of course, but I regard them as being for amateurs. I could tell you the stories about how everyone wound up here in this pleasant little place. But though they are all different, they are all the same. I was led to a discussion of how fresh the food was, and whether or not the sashimi was as good as it sounded. Here is the presentation:
I remarked to Bree’an that the wasabi dipping sauce was spectacular. She gave me a sly smile and placed her index finger next to her nose.
“It is not Wasabi,” she said. “It is a specialty here at Jameson’s.”
“Don’t be coy,” I said. “What is it? Tastes as hot as wasabi.”
“It is soy and Coleman’s mustard powder,” she said brightly. “It brings the heat and just the right texture.”
I smiled right back. The Irish coffee to conclude the visit was just to let the vodka level drop low enough to be alert for the drive back over the pineapple plantation. I thought I might hit the Paalaa Kai Bakery on the way, and grab some of their delightful sweet-tasting bread to have with breakfast the next day. And then the languid trip back across the island to the BOQ at Makalapa.
No one mentioned that the lease on Jameson’s was up this month, and there was going to be no extension. They shut the place on the 16th. I should have felt a shudder in The Force.
Jameson’s was owned by Andy Anderson, former Republican candidate for Governor. He also owned the legendary John Dominis restaurant down in Honolulu, and you could not have two places with a bigger contrast in style. Andy was big back in the Frank Fasi days. Frank was the Mayor of Honolulu when they were still shooting Magnum PI on location there, and the world was young. He was a colorful rascal.
Apparently Anderson decided the place needed a face-lift after 33 years decided on a renovation to make it more appealing and draw a bigger and thirstier crowd than geezers of my vintage.
The bar will supposedly be back as a thing called the “Haleiwa Boat House.” Supposedly, there will be a sports bar on the bottom with TVs and games to draw in the younger crowd so they don’t have to look at the ocean, and a dining room upstairs that will feature the view of the harbor and sunsets.
I wasn’t planning on being back at Jameson’s until next year, anyway, and maybe the new place will be open by then. I will let you know. In the meantime, there is an opportunity to purchase a piece of history. I am thinking of a couple stools from the bar and maybe the fish tank. Act now. The Auction is Wednesday.
Copyright 2015 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303